Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-11
THE ROBBER GOVERNOR.
End OF The Career Of :. j Moses.
Some Reminiscent OF Il Brilliant
Life Wrecked in the Sea of
Cerrup' Politics From Governors
Chair to 4 Prison Celia south
Carolina Romance.

Ames, but his deliverSnce will be but
brief, for he escapes the prison cell only
to enter the tomb. He is not dn old man,
but the excuses OF earlier years have al
ready set 8 period to his life. There will
not be many mOUrna-s It ri, tomb Eav
Will regret the death OF man who began
life with q wealth of opportunity equaIed
only by the reckless disregard with which
it was squsndered, together with
character, friends and honor. Less than
thirty years ago Moses, then 8 boy of
eighteen, had already tasted the full al
lotment of wholesome pleasure. His
father was = lawyer planter of wealth and
high social position, whose family seat
was a. Sumter, S. c.. Every house in
that aristOCratiC neighborhood was open
to him; from one of the richest he chose
for his wife the fairest, and as events
since proved, the best of southern bellies.
When Governor Pickens was elected
chief executive of South Carolina he paid
spol:tical debt TO the elder Moses by ap-
pointing Frank his private secretary. The
youth here found his natural element. He
was quick, magnetic, polite, fOrCeIul.
In his new position he speedily became
power throughout the whole state. Here
he vas when Sumter fell, and of all
the hot-headed youth of the south
young Moses was the loudest in his
eXultstiOn over this event. He rushed
not to the fronf-bus, as a C0nscupt of
fcer, enforcing the draft against his
former friends Thus he lost all the
popularity ne had enjoyed in the south.
The people who had loved aud admired
him hated him now, and when he emerg-
ed from the war, ruined, bounced upon
him with all the malignity of resentment.
His creditors denounced hIm-but in
vain, for he was pauper.
A pauper, but not dsunted or without
resource. Straightway Moses was in the
UaiOn camp, drawing Federal TatlOns for
his family; selling some OF them, it is
even said to his more honorable but less
thrifty neighbors. He feathered MS nest
and grew in favor until he was made as
sociate judge of the Sumter district.
Here began his Infamous career Of spoil.
His father was called to practice before
him, and the two hawked and peddled
the honor OF the court on equal shares.
The younger Moses addressed himself to
the Cancellation OF the negroes, so that,
when the fifteenth amendment was passed,
he stood in g position to command
the new SURFACES. At the South Car
dina Republican convention in 1861, he
so adruitlV handled his new forces that
he at once jumped to the position of
leader Of his party. Upon his own sug-
gesti0n be was elected AdiutaHt, IuspeC-
tor General, and a member of the Legis-
lature. From this point his advance
ment was very rapid, both in power and
In of Il,
hsd absolute power 20 block or promote
legislation, and in selling that power he
had no shame. Anything that is worth
possessing is worth paying for-that was
mis- motto. He threw off ell reserve and
proclaimed that the machine must be
oiled, else it would bring forth no grist.
Great sums thus came to his hand, but
they never amounted to mis- needs, for he
WAS extTavGgsnt snd wasteful TO the last
degree. He secured the passage of & law
that gave him power to issue what were
called tpay certificates" or Speakers
warrants on the Stale Treasury, which
took precedence over all other similar
paper. Using the power thus conferred,
he poured the states money forth upon
his fayorites, scarcely caring to conceal
the nature of his conduct. 1t is estimated
that nearly $1,000, 900 was expended in
this thriving fashion. In December, 1872,
Moses was elected Governor. This advance
ment was only signal for increased bold
ness in his raid on the public treasure
and corresponding increase in the man
ugr of his living. He signed no bill
without q satisfactory quid pro quo. 1t
Is on record that he once refused to order
the payment of a valid claim for 100000
until S25, 900 of the amount was paid to
him. He bought the Preston mansion,
finest in the south, and spent S2OO,O in
improving it. He filed his stable
with fast horses, and his
home with every mark of magnif
cence. Meanwhile his tastes led him into
the viIest company. To maintain his
hold on the colored race he pardoned
every negro in the state penitentiary. He
bought newspaper and attempted to pay
for it with money felOniOusly Wrested
from the state treasury. In this he es-
capped arrest only by surrounding himself
by the state militia, and thus overaWing
the sheriff.
With the expiration of his term of gu
bernatoral Office in 1874, came the be
ginning Of Moses downfall. His friends |
fell away as his power of aiding them |
disappeared. He retired from Office !
worth less than 500. For q number of
years thereafter he vsinly besieged the |
state for various officers, but his light |
was out. He went north. He returned |
again after the death of his father and |
begged of his friends another chance. |
His mother sold q small piece of prop |
erty for few hundred dollars and gave |
him the proceeds, upon his prom
Use that ne would 90 at once TO
Texas and start anew. He went, |
but only after he was gone was it discov-
cred that be had taken with him his |
mothers few remaining Jewels and trink-
cts. For this ne was traced to New York
and arrested, but shortly afterward re-
leased. His wife procured q divorce and |
he became g wanderer on the face of the |
earth. Many northern prison door has |
shut upon him since; for his crimes grew |
worse as his exigencies increased. OF |
what WAS good in him st the start-and |
there was much-he never regsined q |
Whit. The evil of his character expanded |
and asserted the mastery.
T. =
W. S. Pendleton at the opera house
next Tuesday night
Crops About wtnona.